


All For Us [Marigold].

by nctisgay



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten is Whipped, Dorks in Love, Earth, Established Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, Falling In Love, Flowers, For NCT Wayv Fleur Zine, Forbidden Love, Human Suh Youngho | Johnny, M/M, Mentioned Qian Kun, Mentioned WayV Ensemble, Minor Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, NCT 2019, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Painter Ten, Risk it All For Love, Suh Youngho | Johnny is Whipped, Sunsets, Ten represents the marigold flower, new heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:02:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25574767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nctisgay/pseuds/nctisgay
Summary: Endlessly talented and creative; Ten painted the sunset every morning for each evening to conclude down on Earth. And, as important as his job was to humankind, there was only one certain human he was really painting for.songs to listen to while reading
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	All For Us [Marigold].

**Author's Note:**

> Possible TW: very brief mention of WW2.

**Marigold**

_Creativity, passion, beauty_

Two gentle strokes of the paintbrush created an array of pink and yellow hues, with the tiniest bits of white sprinkled in to create a light rusting effect. Two determined eyes gazed holes into the canvas, so passionately it might have started a fire if the irises hadn't looked away sooner.

A mix of black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, was scattered up and down the artist's forearms and wrists like tattoos on a junkie. It was a mesh of unmatchable colors matching perfectly against the pale contrast of the painter's skin.

Though, the annoyance it was to get the paint under your fingernails. No matter how short they were, it still managed to get there. The color would rest in the cavern between nail and skin, and wouldn't wash out until you took about five showers, viciously scrubbed your hair, and washed them about five more times with soap.

But at last, though the artist was _barely_ even satisfied with his painting today, he cleaned his brush and placed the tool on the easel where it belonged. He had a very important schedule to tend to, and he didn't have time for more time.

Creativity and passion were laced in his roots and unmistakably matched to his entity like you wouldn't believe. If he could spend all day painting for a cause, he would. The painter bit his lip, eyes moving from his colorful work that was once a boring blank canvas to the open window that resided beside him.

The breeze ran beautifully warm today. It swooped through the window, ruffling the artist's hair and shirt full of colors that hung loosely off his thin frame. Ten stared back at the easel, silently. He stared and stared harder at the muted yet roaring mesh of fiery colors streaking the canvas's length.

This was one of the many jobs he upheld in herein _New Heroes_ , painting the sky scenery every morning for _every_ evening. For whatever colors he decided to display on the blank area, would be the exact picture of the evening's concluding sky. 

It was how he started every morning; _painting_.

_"Are you practicing moving things with your mind, Ten?"_

Yet the artist's mindset was immensely shattered into a million pieces at the sound of his friend's voice coming from his open doorway. Nonetheless, he bit back a small smile that tried creeping onto his lips.

He responded calmly, “I wish. Then I could move you out of my way."

One now lightly roasted Yangyang clutched his chest dramatically as the painter stood up and nudged by him to exit the studio room.

"It looks _really good_ , Ten. I haven't seen one this amazing in a few weeks, I’m excited.”

Ten suppressed his smile as he walked into his bedroom, knowing his friend would never know why it was so special _tonight_ out of any other. And that’s just the way it had to be. _For a long time._

"Eh," the artist mumbled coolly once he had made it to his dresser, stripping out of his paint-splattered attire.

"What do you mean, eh? You're literally amazing, Ten. You're what the humans would call the next _Van Gogh_."

"You're _hilarious_ , Yangyang, really. You should become a full-time comedian among them since you spend basically your whole existence down there."

Ten grinned to himself, slipping into his nicest pair of jeans he had, and a black turtleneck paired with a jacket. He then entered the studio room again to view his artwork, making sure he didn't miss a single paint stroke.

"It could use a little more _blue_..." Yangyang mumbled in a teasing tone from over his shoulder, nagging playfully in the way he always did.

The painter rolled his eyes, smirking to himself before quickly dipping his index finger in the light blue paint resting on his pallet.

" _You_ could use a little more blue," he laughed, turning around and smearing a small line of sky-colored paint across Yangyang's pale cheek before making a mad dash for the exit.

_"TEN! YOU ASSHOLE!"_

"Don't make a mess, I'll be back... later!"

Ten shouted all of this while wrestling on his jacket and grabbing his bag before slipping out the door without a trace.

Once outside his building, he looked towards the blue sky once again. Gold and shimmer were streaked slightly within the few clouds today, at the handy work of Kun, who is responsible for the sunrise from the night before. Some even sprinkled down to coat the roads in the beautiful shine that lasted forever.

_New Heroes,_ this ethereal place he was in with an immense purpose- was created in the year 1939, the beginning of what most know as _World War_ _II_ , a dark, most horrible time in the planet's entire known history. Earth was a battlefield, and the humans were fighting and killing themselves on it. _Hundreds and thousands_ of innocent lives were being taken, mulled, and brutally ended.

In the midst of this chaos and havoc reeking itself among mankind and streaking bloody scars into the history books, individuals were hand-selected and put in _this_ place, where the sun still sets but the days never age. 

Where the skies were golden, the buildings and land were endless, and everybody was _unliving_ , but not dead either. Some would call them _gods_ and _goddesses_ , able to do anything within the limits of good and benefit. For they were the _new heroes_ that no human knew existed, and would never find out were real.

How gorgeous this place really was, Ten managed to find new appreciation towards it every day. _New Heroes_ was an entirely different world, neatly organized with a system that was made to fuel the hopes of the human beings below. That was every entity's living purpose here, in this very vital place. To provide for the humans, to attempt to spread peace, nurse the suffering, and _end_ the waves of hate.

Each and every entity in _New Heroes_ had a specific job or responsibility to uphold. Whether that was making sure the clouds shined golden in _New Heroes_ every day to keep the passions of those existing here up and going, or fulfilling the duty of giving the beings down below their weather, nature, purpose, and happiness in little things.

Or even, in _some_ cases, warding off the _demons_ , the evil ones, they called them, from down under the ground in a pit of dark red fire. They were the polar opposites of them up here, wanting to spread _chaos_ and _war_ among Earth, destroy lives, and any trace of hope or prosperity. 

Ten, however, did a little bit of everything. By painting a sunset each morning, he provided the sky that would end their day here in _New Heroes_ , but also the sky that would end the day down below on Earth. Without Ten painting each morning, a sky full of endless colors, the day down below would never conclude. But, that was just one of his many responsibilities.

He was called many things by his fellow peers, being well respected among their society for doing as much as he does, though he never accepted any praise. 

A special name that he was called, however, one that held immense purpose, was _Marigold_ \- his most popular creation. 

He created the flower himself a _long_ time ago, as something to bring more diversity and unique beauty to some of the most _depressing_ spots in Earth's crevices. And that it did, the humans embraced the flower's gifts, giving it the name _marigold_ for it's golden, ruby red, and vibrant orange hues that fanned out from the center of the stem and just kept going. Colors of a sunset, of passion. Ever since it's wild popularity, those working up in _New Heroes_ began to call him by such name. 

_Marigold_ was his gift of creativity and endless passion.

_"Ten, there's paint on your face."_

That was the first phrase he was greeted with as soon as he stepped foot in _Center Circle_ , the building in _New Heroes_ where every single command and responsibility for the humans on Earth were handled, taken care of, and fulfilled. Ten spent most of his day in _Center Circle_ , working with fellow entities on occurring, or reoccurring issues that they had the resources and ability to handle.

Ten pouted just slightly, his good friend Sicheng grinning at him with those full cheeks of his, reaching up with his sleeve to scrub across his forehead for a few seconds.

“Good day to you too, huh,” Ten mumbled with fake stubbornness.

"Hey, just helping you out so you don't go down there looking crazy. Say, why are you so dressed up?”

Ten ignored his question and nudged Sicheng's shoulder playfully, walking over the three giant screens on one side of the room. He gazed silently at Earth's world map that was displayed across them, and all the _one-hundred ninety-five_ countries that littered from left to right. 

_So many places_ , and even though he's been to all of them at least five times each, he'd go back a _million_ times more. Just to see the people and the faces. 

_And a certain person._

"It's my day, I almost forgot," Ten chuckled, even though he was _completely_ lying.

He could _never_ forget the three days a week he got to turn human, _really_ human, and roam Earth's surface as a regular person going about their day as if nothing was different. As if they weren't a _god_ or _goddess_ working in another world. 

Everybody in _New Heroes_ was capable of entering planet Earth's society disguised as fully human, visible to other humans, and able to interact just the same as anybody else would. It was a key tool, one of their most special.

"Please be back before sunset this time, having to wait for you is exhausting," Sicheng teased, earning a scoff from the shorter man.

"Oh, poor you," Ten chuckled softly, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice as he selected the continent of _Asia_.

Everybody who's jobs mainly took place in _Center Circle_ , also took turns going down below to observe how society is keeping, how people are acting, and the latest events and news that they didn’t hear about up here. 

It was like _spying_ , as the humans might call it, but it was strictly for research and mental note-taking only. Taking trips downstairs was vital to what they did here, it was one of their only set of eyes into the human's world. So, as many as one hundred of them were deployed a day, one or two dropped on every continent.

Being so vital, it was also one of the _riskiest_ activities. One _tiny_ slip up- and the humans could find out about _New Heroes_ one way or another, which could destroy _everything_ they’ve ever worked for. It was important they stay focused on missions like these and keep a calm, level mind.

"Bye-bye Sichengie! Don't get bored without me..." Ten grinned, earning a scoff from his friend.

"Oh, please. I'll finally have some peace and quiet. Just be careful, Marigold."

Ten waved shortly one last time, blowing a small, playful kiss to Sicheng before closing his eyes and focusing intently, letting every single other thought slip from his mind. Once he felt the wave of calmness take over him, _he let go_.

In an instant, he was transported to planet _Earth_ , third from the sun, _238,900 miles_ from the nearest moon, home and refuge of dominant species, _human beings_. 

His eyes carefully opened, his pupils taking in the fluorescent light shining from the busy streets of the familiar capital of South Korea, _Seoul._ Ten took one, slow, long breath of oxygen before he was on his way with the rest of the crowd clumping together in the narrow city streets.

_Neon signs, stores, restaurants, dogs, animals, people chattering, yelling, talking. The shuffling of feet, loud laughs, quiet mumbles, old faces, young faces, handsome faces, pretty faces._

It amazed Ten each time he visited, no matter how many times he's been here, how many gorgeously sculpted and unique humans there were roaming the planet. It was simply so breathtaking, so eye-catching, so unbelievable and _real_. He never wanted to look away from some of them, they were too _perfectly-made_ to even be breathing.

He took in absolutely everything he could before he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he knew the voice too well, “ _Excuse me.”_

Ten's now-beating heart nearly faltered in his chest as he was stopped abruptly by a taller-than-average, pale man intruding his walking path. He had to crane his neck to see his face, and when he did, his heart did a little more than falter.

He dulled out every bustling thing around them, and took in everything at full force, each detail about _his_ face bouncing around in his head. Every time, his heart stopped at the sight of the man. Those big, light brown eyes, the color of a warm hot chocolate, creased to perfection, complimenting his black hair swooped back off his smooth forehead into a dark blue snapback.

Full, dark eyebrows and an even fuller face were staring back at him like it was hand sculpted fresh out of clay until made _flawless_. And those lips, full and round, that were still stretched into that heart-stopping grin, enough to make anybody feel a bit weak in the knees. 

It’s been _too_ long.

“ _Johnny_.”

The tall man couldn’t help but smile as Ten said his name, soft like a prayer, but voice full of alleviation and delight. The man’s hand on the smaller’s shoulder hadn’t yet left, and Ten could feel the skin under his sweater warming to the touch naturally.

“Hi, _Chittapohn_.”

_Chittapohn._ The only word, and the only name he could remember since before he was chosen to be a part of _New Heroes_ all those long years ago. Other aspects of his previous existence, prior to what he was doing now, he couldn't ever remember or recall even a little part of. But _Chittapohn_ , which he quickly learned was a Thai name, he made his permanent identity on Earth. The name he would live by, introduce himself as, and respond to.

But hearing it from _his_ lips, made it harder to breathe. Johnny knew Ten’s real name, but they couldn’t use it often, not in public, at least.

This was one aspect of Ten’s existence that has been quite persistent, besides painting the sunset every single morning to end a long day. The only real thought, never ceasing to leave his mind, was _Johnny Suh_. The man all the way down on Earth’s surface, in Asia today, in America the next.

And this _exact_ situation was endlessly ringing in his brain, day in day out. This man in front of him right now was the _forbidden-ness_ he carried with him every time he reported back to _New Heroes_ at the end of these missions. But, it made him so full of warmth, of passion and happiness, he wouldn’t stop seeing Johnny for the end of the world itself.

“ _Come here_ ,” Johnny’s voice was like rich honey, his favorite sound he’s heard in all of his long years of roaming this planet. 

He let the man take his hand, skin tingling so sweetly at the touch he hadn’t felt for so long now, _he missed it more than he previously imagined_. He followed the other closely down one of Seoul’s many less-crowded side streets, eyes never leaving the larger hand intertwined with his own.

No words were spoken between them, at least not _yet_ , not until they reached the building at the end of the street where they knew nobody would be able to hear anything they said. Where they could be alone with no consequence, without the horrible risk of being caught in the open air.

The millisecond the door clicked closed behind them ever softly, Ten helplessly gravitated towards the man, arms wrapping around Johnny’s middle, his head pressing against his strong chest, built so securely. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline risk, maybe it was finally seeing Johnny after long, painful weeks apart, maybe it was the dopamine flooding his brain and making his heart race. Or maybe it was all of it at the _same time_. 

After all, he had fallen fast and hard for a _human being_. The species capable of showing love in the most intricate, beautiful, and unique ways he’s ever seen. The species he’s taken care of for long years on end, the ones he’s been admiring. 

It really _had_ been an accident the first time they ever met, running into this extremely tall man all the way in North America those long years ago. Though, it seemed as if it was only yesterday sometimes. Time was precious and went by quickly.

“I was watching the sunset last night. It was really beautiful, Ten." Johnny mumbled with a smile in his voice, strong arms pulling his small body impossibly closer so the only thing he could feel was _his_ embrace.

“They’ll be an even prettier one tonight, only for you,” Ten smiled against his lover’s chest, tilting his head back to look him in the eyes.

Johnny knew about him and his true identity, about what he did, and about _New Heroes_. He found out a year after they had met, on that one night, all the way across the world in the Americas. But, that was a long tale for another time. 

Johnny could tell Ten to fall backward into a pit of fire, saying he would catch him, and Ten would so easily do it with no question. For as much as their relationship went against everything Ten worked for, how much it's forbidden to engage in close contact with the humans; their souls were so deeply in love with one another. It made every other thought stray from his mind. 

_And my goodness, this was love._

He liked to think, and he would constantly tell Johnny that they had to have been close in the part of Ten’s life that he could never remember. Because they acted as if they’ve known each other for decades at a time, knowing every single little detail down to the very dark places. And in those dark places, they began growing some light colors; the orange, yellow, and beaming red.

Ten smiled, “Happy birthday, _my love_.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this piece. 
> 
> This was my submission for NCT Wayv Fleur Zine, where a group of talented writers and artists came together to portray each NCT & Wayv member as a certain flower through writing and pieces of visual art.
> 
> I wrote my piece about Ten as the flower Marigold; meaning Creativity, Passion, & Beauty.
> 
> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> twt   
> 


End file.
